Tough Love
by draftsdraftsdrafts
Summary: Peeta is a student and has probably one of the lives most gay kids would want to have; a high school life without bullies. However, only one schoolmate has decided to take the bully mantle and the ironic part is. . . He's gay too.
1. Rendezvous

RENDEZVOUS.

The bell rings, and the students enter to their respective classes where they will spend forty minutes of their lives doing nothing but dreading the long boring talk that their teachers will explain about. All about things like how education is important and shit, but in the end it's just some stupid excuse for them to find fault in their students. They always have things to talk about, and they just love to rehash the student's mistakes; expecting them to do something about it with the teachers standing there running their mouth like a lunatic or some parent that doesn't know when to shut up.

Peeta never enjoys the teacher's long lecture, but being the average student that he is with nothing but a 3.4 GPA, and a talent in making pastries that will instantly make him likeable despite his questioning sexuality, he soldiers himself as his ears literally are on the verge of bleeding out of its eardrums. He taps his pencil on his book repeatedly, with its beat and rhythm unchanging with hopes that the act will be far more entertaining that the pressing lecture that his teacher, Miss Trinket is going on about. He loves English, don't get him wrong. It's just the long tirade that he hates, or as many people in the modern world would call, the people teaching you is the person that everyone hates.

He slouches in his seat further, and when Miss Trinket finally has her fill, she opens the book and teachers them of the fine, exquisite literature of Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen. Peeta mentally scoffs. Yeah, right. Says no one ever. He opens the book, and turns the pages economically as she drones on. He never likes the idea of Jane Austen's books. It's like a beacon for remakes. As if Pride and Prejudice wasn't enough for a book, zombies come in, elevating the hype of the period setting. What's to say that this book will be remade into something more preposterous, only this time they add some deadly plague or ghouls with vampires? Pure nonsense, is what Peeta would describe it. If he were to meet such authors who have ideas of putting their own variation of the story, he'll probably read that rather than the original in spite of his hypocrisy.

He sits next to his best friend, Gale and Katniss, who too, looked like they have already seen the brightness of their future. Not. He hears the dramatic expressions Miss Trinket pulls out and Gale couldn't help but smirk deridingly at her antics. Sure, being best friend is one thing, but when you have a best friend who's literally bored out his wits to the point he just wants to smile or smirk in both hysteria and mockery? Priceless.

The class finally ends with the bell ringing, and without sparing another second of his time does Peeta pack his belongings and walk out of the class, not bothering to wait for his two friends who would rather take their time to carry their slowly decaying bodies to pack their bag due to the boredom of their class. He walks through the wave of students, not caring whether his idea of shoving is considered rude or just unintentional. He finally reaches his locker, and unlocks the metal door, before opening his bag and dumping the sad excuse of a literature book into the interior of his locker. He can hear the locker next to him being opened, and he closes it once he finishes dumping and removing whatever items he needs and doesn't from the locker. He locks the locker, and turns his head to the left only to receive a harsh shove. Peeta's body collides with the locker and the snickers from the guy who has pushed him only irks him by a fraction.

"Queer," says the voice he knows all to well. He looks at him, with his shirt hugging him and displaying the ripped aspect of his body like it's no one's business and walks with his friends, who were all laughing alongside him over what he has done. Peeta's used to it, besides he has more pressing things to do than spend his year in school being sour and angst about it.

"Hadley at it again?" says a voice next to him. Peeta turns to the voice and sees it's Gale. He gives an amused look, clearly not surprised that he will receive a fraction of what a normal bully would usually invest his time in when he sees his prey. Peeta rubs his sore shoulder soothingly, and he nods at Gale's question. "He's gonna get it one day, you know that, right?"

Peeta does know. He clearly knows that all too well, and he isn't going to deny that at all. He has never placed bad or ill judgment nor wishes towards his enemies, but the temptation to do that is so strong he wonders how he'll handle the upcoming situation if he were to snap. He shakes his head silently at Gale, who's now busy unlocking the combination of his locker code. He opens the locker and put his book inside before shutting it once more.

"Come on, let's just get out of here," says Gale, "Katniss' meeting us at The Hob and we better not keep her waiting," says Gale factually. Peeta nods before the two walk away, with a smidgeon of relief and content running through their cerebral when they finally leave the school building.

…

The Hob is the campus' lounge area for the students and teachers. Many flock there due to the food they serve. The chef, Greasy Sae, as she likes to call herself, has been dubbed as the mother or second mother they never have. She cooks a wide range of delicacies, but for any freshman that is attending the curriculums and curricular of the school, they have to know about The Hob. Only a fool will be oblivious to such existence of a lounge area.

The Hob is quite commodious, allowing almost a building of students to lounge there. It has three floors, so space is never an issue when it comes to serving the customers. Most go there to try the baked potatoes or stew that Greasy Sae cooks while others go there for studying purposes. In an overall view, it's a place to relax and hang out, and in the end even the studious ones will come out laidback once they enter the confines of The Hob both alone or with the company of friends. The place has a vintage atmosphere, something that students these days have liked. The tables are made of varnished wood, and the chairs are build in plastic, allowing some modernity to fit in. There are booths built in the area, allowing the students' relationship to bolster. Teachers too, cannot deny the place. Just ask Mr. Abernathy. He always makes it his custom to come here and have a drink when school sessions are all done. The Hob opens daily, never closing.

The door bell rings when Gale and Peeta enter The Hob. It doesn't take long to find Katniss, who is casually waving her hand to signal her presence. Gale waves back with the same passion, while Peeta gives a soft smile at her. They walk to her table, and join her. A small basket of fries in on the table, as well as a small saucepan of squirted mustard and ketchup on it. A glass of half drank milkshake is on the table too. Before Peeta could even get a taste of the perfection in the form of a fry, Katniss drops in the question he almost begins to hate hearing.

"Hadley at it again?" asks Katniss with an amused smirk. Peeta hates it when his friends can see right through him. It makes him feel stupid for not able to enamor himself from the deep scrutiny of his friends. Out of the two of his friends, it's almost neck at neck. They both can read him as well as he could read his friends. Katniss would usually just catch him right in the act, while for Gale, it only takes a hug to let Peeta reveal his innermost feelings.

Peeta rolls his eyes, wondering why a thing called life needs to have this compulsion to bite him in the butt every few times. "Yes, Katniss. He was," Katniss and Gale snicker at the reply, and the waiter, Annie - who is a friend of Katniss - comes in with a warm smile on her face. Peeta and Gale smile at her in greeting before relaxing into their seats with Clove.

"Hey Peeta, Gale," greets Annie happily, "What can I get you?"

"The usual," replies Gale.

"Same," adds in Peeta. Annie nods at the two of them before leaving the three friends. Gale, without shame as usual, leans to grab a fry out of Katniss' plate. Katniss, who's not impressed by it, swats the approaching hand unapologetically, and Gale reflexively makes a face at her. Katniss grins at him before blowing a raspberry at him. Peeta shakes his head in amusement, not shocked that every time a meeting or a hangout between the three happens, the two never fail to make Peeta feel like some useable third wheel, and the two aren't even in a relationship; so to speak.

Despite their little tiff, Peeta loves his friend, although he has never really expressed that openly, he knows that he cares for his friends really well and deeply. Sometimes, looking at Gale and Katniss interacting makes him wonder why aren't they a couple. All their refutes towards the clishmaclavers only justifies how deep their relationship.

With their tiff settled, the door bell rings audibly, and Katniss, Gale, and Peeta cannot help but turn to the arrival of new customers. They can feel the wave of regret washing in as they watch the arrival of Cato Hadley, along with his friends, Clove, Marvel and Glimmer. The walk in with their heads high, as if they own the entire place. They didn't notice them, much to the trio's relief as they all walk off in the other direction, taking their seats.

"At least they didn't see us," comments Katniss. It comes as no surprise that Katniss and Gale don't like their gang, particularly Cato seeing that he's the leader of his gang. It should also come as no surprise that he's in a band called The Careers. Their band is quite good, Peeta can admit that, with Cato giving vocals that can melt women's heart and probably make them ovulate involuntarily. Marvel plays the guitar, while Clove drums – to what many boys would describe as an arousing factor – and Glimmer playing the keys. They put up gigs monthly, mostly for the sake of the party and whatnot.

Although Peeta admits that the band is really good and they should deserve a record contract, he cannot help but call them overrated. With the school singing their praises and always making sure they ever freshman or sophomore gets at least a word with them, it almost makes Peeta an oddity. He has only been to one of their gigs, and that was the last so far. He'd most likely coop up in his room rather than participate in all the rave that everybody has been giving towards them. However, another factor that really makes them popular is Cato Hadley. His body of an Adonis only makes girls create fantasies on how he will end up being in their marriages. If only the world knows the truth about Cato, thinks Peeta.

They watch Annie walking towards them, with the menu ready in her hands and the notepad just waiting to be scribbled with their orders. Peeta knows that the only person out of all The Careers who isn't as mean as Cato is Clove.

"So, are you gonna join us tonight, Peet?" asks Katniss, removing him out of his thoughts.

"Join what?" asks Peeta confusedly.

"You didn't tell him?" Katniss asks Gale, her head now turning towards the brunette with a frown. Gale looks sheepish with his eyes now turning apologetic. Katniss rolls her eyes at Gale, "You're hopeless sometimes,"

"But you love me," retorts Gale automatically. Peeta snorts at the reply before Gale turns to Peeta, "The Careers are having a gig tonight and…,"

"No," silences Peeta without caring for Gale to finishing his sentence.

Gale sighs in dejection, "Told you he'll say no," he says to Katniss.

"Oh, come on, Peeta," whines Katniss, "You haven't even heard the best part. We're bringing someone up for you to meet up with,"

Peeta stares at her incredulously. "What?"

"Come on, Peeta. We know you're like the only openly gay man in school, and since we're so tired of seeing you being all by your lonesome, we decided to patch you up with a friend of mine," she explains, hoping that the explanation is enough to convince him.

Peeta pauses upon Katniss' words. He contemplates on going, knowing that it'll be the only way for him to shut the two up from their importunate insistence. They'll probably harangue him to the extent that he'll finally relent and go with a reluctant and sour look on his face. If he doesn't go, he'll reap the benefits of going to some pointless gig. The campus here nowadays has called the gigs as their new party and the parties their new sleepovers. Peeta groans at his predicament and decides that he'll give the two the answer that they so lightly deserve, "Fine,"

"Told you. Wait, what?" asks Gale, his head doing a double take. He looks at Peeta as if he has lost his mind, and Peeta might agree with that sentiment, if only he's able to see his head without the usage of a mirror.

"I said fine. I'll go," he replies.

"Great! Now the gig starts at 8 in the evening," says Katniss exuberantly.

"You're lucky it's a Friday today," mumbles Peeta grumpily.

"Dear, their gigs are always on a Friday, so there isn't really much luck in this except maybe your surprising response," retorts Katniss. Peeta merely hums in reluctant agreement and as they went on with their conversation, their voices turn progressively silent as they see Cato heading towards their table with a menacing smirk. "Oh god, here we go," whispers Katniss as he stops by his table alone.

"Well, well, well," sings Cato in a teasing tone, "If it isn't the faggot and the other pariahs,"

Gale scoffs, "Surprised to know that your head's not completely filled with sawdust that you have to use the word pariah for us. I won't be surprised if you knew the meaning for it," he retorts. Cato narrows his eyes at him, but he relaxes when his smirk returns, not really affected by Gale's jab.

"Well," brushes Cato with a calm tone, "Nice to know that only a pariah will date someone like her," he points to Katniss, "and a faggot like that," he says without flinching, pointing his finger to Peeta squarely.

Gale's fist clenches in anger. Peeta knows what that means. Usually, Gale's able to handle any jab people makes about others, be it a jocular one or just plain out truthful. But for derogatory, that is a low that he cannot stand to listen, let alone hear. He hates it when people make fun of the gay community, staunchly rooting that sexuality isn't a choice made from decision making. The only decision making that is inside the whole gamut of sexuality is the choice to reveal to others about the sexuality, and for that, Gale sticks to it loyally. He's about to land a blow onto Cato's jaw when Peeta grabs his arm tentatively. Gale looks at the grasped hand and then at Peeta, whose eyes tell him to not do anything irrational. Gale reluctantly lowers his tensed limb and scowls deeply at Cato.

Katniss too, doesn't seem appreciative of Cato's presence. She's annoyed, both towards Cato's arrogance and Peeta' patience. Cato simply laughs at the three, and relaxes himself before saying, "He's a keeper, Hawthorne. Might wanna get rid of him. You're starting to turn soft," before leaving the three to the bathroom. Gale's hand tenses once more at the jab and only stares silently in anger as he could nothing at all to defend his friend.

"I swear I'm going to kill him," says Gale murderously.

Peeta releases his grip on his arm and folds his arms, a little annoyed not by Cato's insults, but the reaction towards it. "Leave him be, Gale. He's always like this and we always handled it well. What makes this so different from the others?"

"He's gone too far, Peeta," replies Katniss, "You know how we want to keep you safe,"

"And I am," assures Peeta, "It's just words. It's not like he could punch me or anything,"

"After 4 years here? I'm surprised he done some beating on you," says Gale with a scoff. Peeta shakes his head at Gale, clearly not amused at the fact that Cato hasn't done anything drastic or low towards anyone. "You still coming for the gig, right?" Peeta nods. "We understand if you don't want to over… you know,"

Peeta scowls at Gale, "I'm not made of glass, Gale. I'm still going for this. Now can we just change the subject, please?" Gale and Katniss nods at him sympathetically and guiltily. Sure, Peeta has always been the peacemaker between the two of them or anybody for that matter, and he's so far never liked the idea of shedding blood or using violence as the answer. If anything, he'd be just as violent as the next person if he were to commit such act. Gale is strong, no doubt, but to defend him on his own account is something he's not willing to bargain for over his friendship. But if there's one thing that Peeta can't stand is the excessive protection that Gale is always offering. Peeta may not be well versed in martial arts, but he's not incapable of throwing a punch at people if the need arises.

But Peeta won't lie that he sometimes wishes that the bullying would stop. It's crud annoying.

…

The trio return to campus, with Katniss splitting from the group and promising that they will meet at the party, with different clothes and definitely different expressions. Gale and Peeta share a dorm together, with Peeta being the neater one out of the two. He's not OCD or anything, but anytime Gale gets too far with his habitual dirty antics, Peeta cleans them, emphasizing how the mess distracts him even the smallest of activities. He won't mind if your bag is placed haphazardly, but if there's rotten food or leftover pizza boxes on the table, Peeta will not hesitate to clean it away, even if Gale has reasons behind the whole act.

Gale goes off to shower first, and Peeta relaxes at the bed, with his shoes off and socks in the wastebasket. He curls his toe in relaxation, a little happy that his feet have some time off from the constricting nature of his shoes. He grabs his phone from the nightstand, and scrolls down the notification. His thumbs hover over one message and thumbs it, opening the message app where he then reads the short text.

 _Meet me backstage if you're going to the gig tonight. Don't tell Hawthorne or Everdeen what you're up to._


	2. Behind the Curtains

BEHIND THE CURTAINS.

The party goes off without a hitch, and with the bottles and red solo cups in their hands, there's no doubt that they'll be drunkards after a few drinks. Peeta dresses up in casual clothing that he probably thinks that no one ever had envisioned him wearing. Mostly he's always in formal clothing, but tonight is an exception. He is wearing a navy blue tee shirt, with a flannel covering his almost pale skin, along with jeans that fit just nicely across his legs, and a humble pair of Converses. Gale sports a similar look, with the difference being Gale wearing only a Henley.

They walk in through the throng of people, trying to make way for some space as they enter the room looking for Katniss. Katniss has long dressed up for this, whining about how she finally gotten herself an outfit that will suit well for the party atmosphere. Peeta couldn't care less about that anyway, since his sense of fashion is abhorrently plain for the stereotypical gay man. Gale too doesn't seem to care either, only giving Katniss a smile at her announcement, to which both boys have earned themselves a scowl from Katniss. Someone will appreciate it. Someday.

They find Katniss, sitting with a dirty blond individual and talking. His skin is quite tanned and Peeta wonders whether this individual has spent too much of his time in the sunny side of California, where most people are usually spotted looking tanned. In comparison, Peeta is way paler than this dude, probably because he spends most of his free time reading and staying indoors, basically living like a vampire. The man looks a little older; like a year older and the abnormally white set of teeth makes it another quality that Peeta sorta likes in a man; not that he is interested with someone who doesn't have bad teeth, just that this guy has got some real insecurity or strict regime to keep his teeth pearly white. His shoulders are broad, and the wearing a crow neck tee shirt, the guy doesn't seem all too shy exposing a stretch of skin from the neck to his a third of his shoulders insofar as his collarbones protrude prominently.

Katniss glances in their direction, and gives an enthusiastic wave at the two men. They soon sit, with Gale next to Katniss and Peeta next to the tanned stranger. He gives a friendly and courteous smile at him before moving his eyes to Katniss. "Peeta, Finnick. Finnick, Peeta," introduces Katniss. They both shake hands, with Finnick shaking hands with Gale too. He seems gentleman-ish enough and with the state of his body, Peeta wonders whether this guy is the type who usually treats his conquests as flings. From the looks of it, he certainly fits the part.

"So this is the Peeta Katniss has been talking about," says Finnick with an amused tone.

"You talked about me?" asks Peeta to Katniss. Katniss nods at him, assuring that whatever mentions of him are of good ones, to which Peeta mutters, "It better be." The table seems bare and Peeta frowns at the void of drinks and meals. "I'm gonna get some food. Beer, anybody?" he asks. Katniss and Gale nod in agreement, and Finnick offers to accompany him, with Peeta merely giving a shrug. They walk to the bar, with Peeta fishing his fake ID to the bartender and then pocketing it once the bartender gives the OK to him.

"So, you're 18?" asks Finnick casually.

"Close; 17," he replies. "You?"

"18," replies Finnick, "Just not in the same school,"

"That explains the tanned look?" asks Peeta forwardly.

"Surfing is a sport, dear," replies Finnick casually, "You should try it sometime,"

"I think I'll pass," replies Peeta, "The outdoor these days have too much danger zones that I'm too paranoid to even step into," Finnick chuckles at him before the two slip in casual conversations. From most of what Peeta can gather, Finnick really seems like a nice man, though he'd wish that things would be under different circumstances. As alright as he is being here, the idea of being placed basically in a blind date doesn't seem to interest him in the slightest.

The bartender returns with four bottles of beer, with the assurance that someone will send in the food once its ready. He nods and thanks him before offering the beer to Finnick, to which he takes it gratefully. He carries the beer back to Katniss and Gale, with their smiles wide when the beers are placed in front of them. They drink and banter about small things, letting time pass before the gig starts.

"The gig's about to start soon," informs Katniss, "We should join the people at the front," the four slip out of their seats, and join the congregated crowd at the front, with their murmurs of excitement filling Peeta's eardrums. This is the second time he's attended The Careers' gig. The first time wasn't all that bad, but the concept of gigs itself didn't appeal to him. The Careers have been working hard to get a record deal, and they seem to be progressing well, since the last rumor he's heard was that someone has taken interest in their taste. Hopefully, with their performance tonight, maybe another person will take interest once more, allowing The Careers to have some sense of options on which label will suit them.

"I'm just gonna head to the bathroom real quick," he says to Finnick, to which he nods back in reply. He pushes through the crowd, and then arrives in the bathroom. He's glad that out of all places, The Nut has respect towards cleanliness. The bathroom is immaculately clean, and best of all, it's probably the only reason why The Nut stands out as one of the place for gigs to happen, because it's more of a lounge area kind of bar rather than the bar that always prioritize smoking and drinking. The Nut is usually the place where most students would come, regardless of which school that person is from.

Peeta goes over to the sink, and turns the valve for the water to gush out. He cups his hands and then washes his face. He can feel the sweat removed off of his face, and after a few rinses, he goes to the paper towel, where he dries his face. He hears the toilet flushing and watches from the mirror who the person is.

Cato Hadley.

He stares at Peeta through his reflection, and gives a predatory smirk when he closes in on Peeta. Peeta nears towards him, before landing a kiss on his lips. "Hey," he greets the lead singer.

"You got my text?" asks Cato. Peeta nods. "Then why didn't you follow through it?" he growls lowly. If situations were different – which is unlikely seeing that there's no reason to growl unless one's voice naturally sounds so - Peeta would continue the art of seduction, but knowing Cato, things that doesn't seem to be the case. Plus, no one in the right mind would get in his position if it doesn't involve the idea of thrashing. Or just being angry in general.

"Your bandmates don't even know that you're gay. You're in the closet, Hadley. Think," he replies levelly. "Here's better than any place, alright?" he offers before bravely planting another kiss onto the blond's lips. Cato hums in the kiss, allowing the kiss to take into a passionate route. The kiss becomes hungrier when Peeta feels the surreptitious swipe of Cato's tongue, and Peeta wraps his arm around Cato's neck, trying to bring balance between the two individuals. Cato places his hands on Peeta's thin but muscled waist, providing stability. Cato's way taller, and there is no way Peeta is going to be the one tip-toeing. Kisses shouldn't be full of strains, as Peeta likes to muse.

They pull back after a few minutes, and Peeta pants softly before letting go of his hold around Cato. Cato releases his hold on Peeta before looking at the mirror, where he washes his lips to remove any evidence of lip lock. Peeta leans against the counter and once Cato finishes his business does he stare at Peeta darkly. "Don't look at me when I play, and you certainly don't try talk to me in school. I don't want to even see you seeing me in school at all," Peeta nods somberly, breathing in a stiff intake of air as he gazes into Cato's blue eyes. Cato walks away and leaves the bathroom, leaving the Peeta alone. Peeta scoffs at the man's effort of removing any dirty trace of his so called tainted reputation.

It's no surprise that Cato would tell him to be do such things. He wants things to be kept mum. Cato isn't comfortable having his sexuality out in the open, and he gets it. He just needs to be comfortable with people knowing, and so far in Peeta's knowledge only he knows that. That's a lie; Gale and Katniss too, know that. The two of them may be noisy as fuck, but at least they know how to respect secrets. He doesn't mind the hiding. Besides, it's not the public that he's afraid of towards his sexuality. That problem - which is never really a problem - has long been removed. He has been bullied, yes, over being gay. And how ironic it became, when he finds out that he really is gay. Since then, no one has bullied him, probably because he himself brings a sense of fear as his face is almost as impassive as fuck now compared to back then, or because he the people actually feel guilty for pushing someone into something that he already is. Highly unlikely, since sexuality isn't something people can force you into anyway.

He pushes himself out of his leaning, and walks out of the bathroom, his mood slightly ruined because of one man. He has patience, no doubt, but does the bullying need to come in hand in hand? He pushes through the crowd, joining the trio. Maybe Katniss' job is worth working after all, since he is here after all for a blind date. The host comes in, with the microphone on, and shakes the excitement of the crowd. The crowd cheers loudly, with them unable to contain their excitement.

"What took you so long?" asks Finnick. Katniss and Gale too are looking at Peeta, with their expectant looks worn on their faces.

"I had… some bad stomach bug," he says, with some strain laced in his voice. His eyes move to Katniss and Gale, and the two give looks of exasperation, the real meaning caught on by them reflexively. Finnick doesn't seem too bothered by it, as he slings his arm around Peeta, giving him a kiss on the cheek. He asks if he's okay, to which he gives him a reassuring smile.

The curtains open and the lights turn on. The squeals could not go any louder and higher when the faces of The Careers finally come in full view. Many of them are shouting Cato's name, and Finnick seems to look happy, with him saying, "I've been hearing how good they are. I hope my sources don't fail me," he says to Peeta. Peeta nods back with a smile, and he turns to see The Careers. It's kind of hard not to look at them, especially when they're the center of attention.

"Alright, folks. Hit it," says Cato. The band plays their hit song, "Looking in" and the crowd goes on in hysterics when their song makes into their set list. Cato's voice is mellifluous and Peeta couldn't help but look into his blue eyes when he starts singing. Even without their band rehearsals, they would've sound great, and Katniss, Finnick and Gale seem to be having a good time listening, while Peeta does a great job of hiding his feelings and blending in with the crowd.

…

The gig finally ends, and the clock has struck 45 minutes past 11. Peeta decides to go home, thinking that it's time to hit the hay. The gig has long ended, with The Careers giving their thanks for listening to them. No doubt that they will find some connections with some management. The video cameras and phones that hover in the air will sure to give easy access to searching eyes of the record agents. Finnick too, needs to be home by midnight, excusing himself that he's needed by his parents' tomorrow. Katniss and Gale give their nods of understanding, while Peeta give his nod of appreciation. At least some respects freedom. They four walk out of The Nut's entrance, and Peeta could see The Careers talking to an unknown individual. Clove and Glimmer look psyched, while Marvel and Cato seems to be listening attentively to what the man is saying. No doubt Marvel will be the one taking mental notes out of all this, since Marvel is the smartest out of anyone in school. Most teachers were - and still are - shocked that someone with a multitude of choices as his future, would choose entertainment as his future rather than something that would entail a 3.9 GPA, but Peeta has so far respected it. Marvel and Peeta have met before, but that was years ago.

"Looks like they hit a sweet deal," says Gale. Katniss and Peeta nod absently at his words, giving their tacit agreement. Finnick breaks them out of their reverie and assures that they will meet again. He leaves but not without giving his digits and a kiss on his cheek. He waves his goodbye to the to Katniss and Gale, and then enters his car before driving off into the road.

"So" sings Katniss, "What did you think of him?"

"He's… alright, I guess," says Gale as his eyes never leave the road. Peeta nods in agreement. He turns his head to Katniss before asking, "Is he always… you know?" he gestures at his cheek, "Kissing people on the cheek,"

"Only to ones that he likes, or basically people he's meeting or dating," says Katniss, "But he's nice, overall. So, what at do you think of him, Peeta?" she asks.

"He's alright, but is he always that flirtatious?" he asks back.

"Only to people he likes," she replies vaguely.

"Goddammit, Katniss. Quit being cryptic, will ya?" asks Gale with an annoyed tone. Peeta chuckles at his exasperation, and Katniss scowls at him, before slapping his arm.

"I doubt I'll call him for a second date," Peeta points out.

"He's that bad?" asks Katniss with a look.

"No," replies Peeta.

"Says the guy who has been lip locking with someone else," says Gale with a deriding tone, "What did he say to you?"

"Not to look at him. Clearly not surprised," he says as the three walk away from The Nut. They pass by The Careers, whose attention are still fixed onto the talking representative. Peeta did not miss the look of Cato's when he stares at him with a hard pointed glare. Peeta holds his gaze onto Cato for a brave few seconds, before turning his head to the pavement ahead. Peeta almost feel the rush of goosebumps when he did that, like the aftermath of fear comes in just instantly, like a cold wind breezing through unclothed skin.

"How do you even put up with him?" asks Katniss. They're lucky that their voices don't reach their ears. The noise outside is enough to drown out their conversation from unwanted ears.

"You guys need to understand. He's still trying to find himself. He'll get there. I know he will,"

"Not when you have a guy who's trying to fight back his sexuality, you're not. The guy can't even admit that he's gay," says Katniss. Gale hums in approval. Cato thinks that homosexuality is something uncomfortable, and so far, Peeta and his friends have never really found out the true reason why he's acting against his sexuality. There's nothing wrong with him, why is that so hard to get in that thick skull of his?

Peeta sighs, shaking his head, I wish he knows that the school isn't prejudiced. Whatever, Finnick is nice alright, just not my type, I guess," he says.

"Oh, so what is your type of man, Peeta?" asks Gale with an amused look.

Peeta looks at Gale back, and his eyes flutter in a flirtatious manner when he starts saying, "Guys like you, Gale," he puts his hand on his chest before saying, "I think I'm in love with you,"

Gale scoffs in laughter, while Katniss chortles loudly at the joke. "Piss off, Peeta," says Gale. "I have my eyes one woman," he says with his eyes locked onto Katniss.

"Her?" asks Peeta jocularly, "I thought she's a girl." Gale snorts in laughter upon the comment, and couldn't contain the stifling when he starts laughing till his eyes water. Katniss gives a faux scowl at him before punching his arm hard. Peeta is laughing hard at his insult, and Katniss couldn't abate the infectious nature, until she too starts laughing along with her two best friends.


	3. Examples

EXAMPLES.

School came in as usual to Peeta, with the classes going at its usual drone and teachers teaching without giving much care to the students' feelings. If the students are bored, excited, indifferent, or just completely A-type, the teachers just don't give a single damn. Well, maybe the teacher's pet does, but regardless, Peeta thinks that the teachers are just in for the job purely for one thing; money. But Peeta can't deny that the teachers are heartless. Hell no, they are caring and empathetic, yes, but only when it comes to certain situation. Furthermore, there are certain things that the teachers are good at. Like teaching. Peeta would call it blasphemy if he says that Mr. Abernathy's class are horrible, as well as his teaching because even though Haymitch may just as well look like a potential homeless man - outside of school that is - he's really the epitome of a genius, and it's almost hard to believe that there's someone who loves teaching but has a completely different personality out of school. Maybe it's the illusion that comes with the package of being a teacher.

Finnick has never called Peeta, and as far as Peeta's concerned, he's not entirely sure whether he gave his number to the tanned man. Gale and Katniss have never bothered about him, only when he is in the equation or topic of conversation. Peeta basically is grateful that no one has bothered him about his relationship. He's not really sure whether Finnick and he himself are in a relationship. Kisses on the cheek don't equal to anything and it's a bit too early to even say that they're in a relationship.

Especially when Peeta has eyes for someone else.

Gosh, he feels like a child for this. There is someone out there who basically has the power and heart to spare time for him, and there goes Peeta, chasing someone who basically drops his love or affection on the ground when there's a potential someone just a dial away with a heart ready in his hands. Pathetic, as Peeta would describe it.

He walks along the school corridor, and goes to his locker, unlocking the combination and places his book inside. Class has ended, and the term break has just started. He's not going home, that's for sure. He and his parents… aren't on the greatest terms, and Peeta's fine with it. Homosexuality is a lot to take in, no doubt, but a parent should be understanding enough that they should accept the fact just as openly as they can. Sadly, his parents can't seem to see that, and if Peeta's honest; he's glad that he's sent to campus school. Staying with his parents with differing views and under one roof can be suffocating.

He doesn't notice the presence next to him, until he's been shoved towards his opened locker. He grimaces in pain, and it doesn't take a genius to figure out who the perpetrator is. His chest hurts, as his chest makes full exposed contact against the metal locker. Never mind it being a locker, the pain's a bitch when it's open. Cato stands there with a sick grin on his face and he could hear some laughter behind him, as if they have just watched a clown making a fool out of themselves. Sadistic bastards, Peeta thinks. He watches as Cato walks away from him, and Peeta composes himself, trying to make himself look normal, even though he cannot say the same for his aching chest. He rubs his chest in a soothing fashion and keeps the last of his unrequired books inside the locker before making his way to the nurse.

Mrs. Everdeen works in the school infirmary. Ever since Katniss and his family struck gold through the contest they had won a year ago, their life has pretty much been stable. However, Mrs. Everdeen has never allowed the wealth to be an excuse to a lackadaisical lifestyle, and instead decided to play a vital role to students' life by being a school nurse. She loves children as much as the next mother, and staying in the school infirmary from 9 to 5 is something she finds no hassle in doing, even if it means your daughter being in the same school with your mother. Familial attachments have little to do with academic performances. Peeta is glad that Gale isn't around to send him, because he can imagine the mutterings that will leave his lips if he were to see Cato pushing him. Words like "I'm gonna kill him," will probably be the first thing that will be in Peeta's ears, no doubt.

He walks into the nurse after giving soft knocks on the door. The infirmary is fairly large, and unlike most infirmaries, this one is co-joined with the dentist's office. The dentist usually works if there are appointments made, and seeing that there isn't at the moment, Mrs. Everdeen is the only one in the infirmary. Peeta's teeth are fine so far, and he has so far never seen a cavity in him to make it a viable excuse to visit the dentist. The infirmary is large, with cupboards stocked with countless boxes and packages of medical supplies. If Peeta could see things different, he'd say that he was in the clinic of a hospital rather than a school one. The equipment is neatly kept, and he can see the boxes of alcohol swabs, rubbing alcohol, wire gauzes, tapes, and other items being placed out in the open. He guesses those things are the most common used items, and Peeta starts wondering what kind of injuries - besides his probably - would lead to the usage of alcohol swabs.

Mrs. Everdeen is busy washing her hands, and she turns her head and smiles, before asking Peeta to take a seat on the chair while she finishes the last of cleaning her tools. Peeta wordlessly sits on the designated chair, and he waits patiently for the nurse to finish whatever duties that needed to be done with. She finally turns around and dries her hand with a towel, before soaking it once more with some sanitizer. Protocols, Peeta thinks.

"Hello, Peeta," says Mrs. Everdeen in a motherly tone, "What can I help you with?"

Peeta gives a smile, although it's kind of hard with the searing pain, "Fine, Mrs. Everdeen. Um, I got shoved to the locker and my chest hurts," he says. He lifts his shirt and is surprised to see the inflamed skin making a really red show on his chest. He gasps at the sight and drops the hem of his shirt upon seeing it. He was disgusted by the sight of it, and he wonders how hard did Cato really push him. Mrs. Everdeen gives a disapproving look at Peeta, but as far as Peeta can see, the frown isn't for the scar. She directs him to sit on the stool, and Peeta does so, with the added instruction to remove his shirt. He does so, and then places the shirt on the spine of another chair, leaving it while Mrs. Everdeen grabs the necessary items to mitigate its growing pain.

Mrs. Everdeen comes back with some medical amenities, and then with gloves worn and hands ready, she grabs a cotton wool and then soaks it with some rubbing alcohol, with the intention of disinfecting the wound. She doesn't get further anyway, when the door is barged open with an angry looking Gale hauling Cato inside the room. Peeta gives a resigned look when he sees Gale's face. Of course Gale has found out of Cato's mischief. Mrs. Everdeen doesn't seem all pleased, and instructs the two intruders to take a seat while she tends to Peeta's wounds.

"Don't even think about it, fucker," says Gale in a menacing and threatening tone to Cato. Mrs. Everdeen doesn't seem to bothered by the expletive, as she is too busy tending to an injured human being than have time to talk about manners in the school. Students are eventually going to swear, anyway so there's no point in censoring them every time. Cato glares at him but doesn't do anything. Gale walks over to Peeta and watches Mrs. Everdeen cleaning the wound gently, with the occasional hisses filling everyone's ears. The pain is unsurprisingly stinging, and Peeta winces when the cold and wet wool touches his inflamed skin. "Jesus," mutters Gale before giving a cold glare at Cato who doesn't seem one bit sorry towards his mistake. He is too busy folding his arms and staring blankly at the window, finding the outdoor oh so interesting now.

Peeta is grateful that there is someone who cares for him, with or without him telling it to his face. All the times Peeta relied on Gale never falls into failure, and even though Gale sometimes gives his usual lazy tone about helping him, he does it regardless of the weight of the job. Mrs. Everdeen is now bandaging his chest. Peeta winces at the tightness Mrs. Everdeen was placing on the bandages, and she doesn't miss the expression until she said, "Sorry, dear. But it'll be worth it," Peeta nods at her words, knowing that it's better than letting it bleed or let it compound for the next couple of days. She finally finishes with her work, and then places her utensils onto the tray and then leaves the three boys alone to clean the tools. Peeta moves, and winces uncomfortably when he feels the bandages making some sort of friction across his underarms and the sides of his chest. Cato still sits at his place, and Peeta doesn't miss the soft expression behind the indifference of his when he sees Peeta's discomfiture. Peeta ignores it, knowing that Cato wouldn't like the idea of being vulnerable in front of people. Most bullies are like that; refusing to admit their dumb mistakes until they confine it to you.

Gale gets his shirt and hands it to Peeta. Peeta wears the shirt and has little trouble getting it on. He stands up and then tries to move his arms so that his flexibility doesn't get restrained, or anything. So far, everything seems fine, and he thanks Mrs. Everdeen for her help, ensuring that he'll return if there's anything he needs her tending to. Mrs. Everdeen gives him a smile and with that note, the male trio leaves.

They didn't go far until Gale forces him onto a wall. Peeta gives a resigned look at his best friend, not really in the mood to deal with a fight, let alone having to stop one. "Gale, leave him alone," he instructs Gale, his voice firm.

"Peeta, what the fuck, man?" asks Gale incredulously, "This guy got you hurt man. That's just low," he continues. Cato doesn't seem afraid of Gale's strength and instead gives a smirk when he the tables turn. Peeta, however, only gives a look of adamancy, his decision already enough to be spoken in silence. Gale gives him a pleading look, begging him to reconsider his decision and at least let him land one punch onto Cato, but Peeta wasn't having it. With a reluctant sigh, he lets go of Cato, and Cato simply brushes off his shirt, as if he was thrown dust at his shirt. Gale gives him a dirty look at the blond, and wonders how Peeta is able to tolerate him.

Cato gives a chuckle at Gale before saying, "He's a keeper, Hawthorne,". He doesn't spare a glance at Peeta, and Peeta doesn't expect him to anyway. Wouldn't want him to ruin his macho aura, thinks Peeta.

Gale and Peeta watch him leave the area, and Gale turns to Peeta, who gives a look that just speaks 'Are you serious?' to him. Peeta shrugs at him before taking his wrist and lead him to the another direction. He doesn't want to say that Cato has won for today or anything, because there's nothing about today to treat it as rivalry, so he shuts up about it, making sure that Gale doesn't retorts to convince him otherwise.


	4. Date One

DATE ONE.

Classes go on normally the next day, with Peeta's injuries healing up considerably well. He hasn't received any advances from Cato, just the typical teasing that he's so accustomed to hear. Gale, on the other hand, doesn't seem to like the idea of Peeta being s nonchalant and forgiving about it. He only goes so far as to give him dirty looks and clenching his fist, holding in his anger before he does anything that may land him in detention after school. Peeta's bandages were soon removed, and the inflammation of his skin soon recedes to his normal pale skin color. He's happy to be out of it. Showering was extremely difficult to perform whenever the bandages are on, and taking it out seems like a job too tiresome to perform as well as putting it back on. He flips a page of his book, not really caring that he has Math with Katniss and Gale, as well as three out of four of the Careers and that includes Cato.

Gale and Katniss spare dirty looks whenever they hear the Careers start snickering at the back of the class, and Mr. Latier doesn't seem to notice that he has students not paying attention to his class. After all, the only thing the student will care is when he hears him giving his ingenious punishment if he were to see them flunking his class. Peeta doesn't have a problem with Math, and all he could do for the moment is just ignore Cato and his lackeys. It's not that hard to do, anyway, as Peeta continues to scribble down notes and hear his two best friends talking amongst each other. He really cannot stand some distractions, and having the occasional teasing and whispering barely make a dent to Peeta's focus.

His phone vibrates silently in his pocket, and Peeta, who's out of his focus, fishes the device out and sees a text message from an unknown number. He narrows his eyes slightly at the screen before swiping it to the right to open the message instantly.

 _Hey, Peeta. It's Finnick. The one from the party? I was wondering if you'd like to go out for a date tonight at The Hob?_

Peeta breathes in calmly, making sure that he doesn't get caught texting in class by his friends or teacher. _Shouldn't have known that Katniss will hand him his number for this._ It's not that it's illegal. It's just that he doesn't enjoy the idea of being wasting his time making conversations for the sake of their boredom. Distractions aren't his thing during class. He types out his approval and then pockets the device. He ignores the vibration of his pocket, and continues listening to his teacher with his focus back on.

…

Peeta walks to his locker and dumps his belongings before shutting the metal door. He only takes his math textbook today, seeing that Mr. Latier will be giving his students a small quiz later in the week. He ignores the students' presence and doesn't bother to wait for Gale as he leaves the building almost immediately after he retrieves his belongings from the locker.

He walks down the stairs and then approaches for the courtyard when he receives a vibrating sensation on his right thigh. He stops midway his journey to his dorm and fishes his phone out, not caring whether he's impeding the other students' pathway to the school. He reads the text, only to find out that the text is from Cato, asking him to meet him at the back of the football court in ten minutes. He sighs at himself, not really in the mood of going through another phase of being tackled by Cato. He gives his reluctant reply and then walks in the other direction, back to the school.

…

Peeta walks into the empty football court, where its bare of any students. He narrows his eyes at the shining sunlight and then ducks into the bleachers, where shelter is sweet and just so easy to find. He texts Cato on his presence only to receive a hug from behind where two arms encircle his waist. He gasps in shock at the sudden contact but then relaxes when he receives two soothing kisses on the back of his neck. He lowers his phone and relaxes before pocketing the device and then turning around to meet his eyes with the 6 foot's.

Cato smiles at him before kissing him on his lips, to which Peeta accepts without argument. They don't go further from the just pressing their lips, preferring to let their inhibitions be intact. The two go further into the bleachers, where it occupies the empty football field like a cage. It surrounds the entire field, allowing the action whenever held a clear view in front of the audience's eyes.

Peeta doesn't let go of the hand that's holding his and he smiles at the sight in front of him. It's nice, to see that his life has some sort of bright side behind the bullying that Cato has been giving him. He wonders whether Cato will ever come out, and even though Peeta has promised him that he will be patient with him, sometimes, the sense of promising such feat makes him have this rush that he wishes the easy side will be next to him. Sadly, Cato has a reputation to fill as a heartthrob and Peeta, being the ever gentle one, respects his wishes. Besides, the sneaking about is a small price to pay for the intimacy that they have been doing towards each other.

Cato leads him to a point where he deems it safe to continue whatever they were doing and holds Peeta by the waist and capture his lips with his. Peeta smiles into the kiss, tilting his head to allow Cato's lips to savor the texture of his fairly thin lips. They kiss languidly, with their minds not worrying about unwanted presence since the bleachers have been banned to all students who are engaging in hedonistic activities. Principal Snow has made sure that suspension will be their consequence of their actions. Only the brave souls dare to defy him and so far, Cato and Peeta have once or twice used the place for their meetings.

They pull back from their kiss when Peeta hisses audibly. Cato's eyes widen slightly when he realizes that his hands are moving towards Peeta's chest, the part where Cato brutally push him into his locker. Peeta gives him an apologetic smile, and that make Cato feel more guilty.

"Sorry," says Cato tersely. Peeta is not surprised that Cato will act stiff towards him. The idea of expressing emotions isn't exactly Cato's forte and who can blame him? The bully opening up to Peeta is something that will probably take time for that day to become reality.

"It's okay," says Peeta, "It's just a scratch. It'll heal,"

"You know I mean it," he replies, "I jus-,"

"Have an image to fill, I get it," finishes Peeta. Cato looks at him with guilt in his eyes and Peeta rolls his eyes when Cato is seemingly making the whole thing sappy, even though Peeta deeply enjoys the angst behind their relationship. "Whatever. As I said, it'll heal. Now can we just go back to what we're doing?"

Without another word uttered, the two resumes resume their kissing.

…

Peeta returns back to his dorm, with Cato promising that they will meet in private soon. He nodded at the man and then left the football field, with their two hours only spent on nothing but kissing and some small talks that most couples have when they have time to be together. It was nice, because the idea of them being enemies, in Gale's eyes by the way, is completely stripped away when they talked. Cato was talking about how excited he was to hear a representative being interested in The Careers and Peeta, being the nice person that he is, smiled at him in pride.

Peeta returns to his room without any problems, and realizes that Gale has not returned yet. Not that it matters to Peeta, as he strips of his clothes and heads into the shower, his time only limited to 2 hours to get himself ready for his date with Finnick. Sure, the idea of dating seems unlikely, but with Katniss not agreeing that his relationship with Cato is a healthy one especially in view of the fact that it will be a tough nut to crack if he will ever see the day Cato coming out of the proverbial closet, Peeta has no choice but to compromise some aspects. If he wants to cover Cato's tracks, then Cato has no choice but to bear the relationship that Finnick and himself will be fostering. As the shower keeps on going, Peeta cannot help but give a tight lipped look at the floor upon thinking of his predicament. He doesn't like it, but he can't judge too much just yet. First time for everything. Maybe Finnick will be the suitable distraction for Peeta, and he grimaces at the idea of it. It sounds like he is just using the golden boy and maybe he is, but Cato is definitely not the only one for him, right?

Right?

Peeta turns the valve shut and then steps out of the tiled cubicle. He grabs the wet towel and then dries himself, shaking the problematic thought out of his head. He doesn't want to think about the guilt nor the clearance of his conscious when he makes his ultimate or penultimate decision. The last thing he needs is a love triangle forming.

He gets dressed, with nothing special or fancy in mind. He just grabs a flannel that looks good to his eyes and then digs out a white undershirt to wear beneath it. They're not dating exactly, so what point was there for him to look too good for one night? He then wears his pants and then walks out of the room without having any notion to leave Gale a note or anything. He's probably too busy with Katniss, thinks Peeta. He walks down the stairs and then leaves the building before reaching the clearing and then hails for a cab with his arm held high in the air. He enters the cab, and then orders politely to the driver to take him to the Nut, where his "date" will be held.

…

The cab soon arrives at its designated destination and Peeta, not wanting to take too much time, fishes out his wallet and then grabs a twenty out of it, before leaving the vehicle and informing the driver to keep the change. He utters his thanks too before walking to the entrance of The Nut. There aren't as many people as they were on the day The Careers were doing their gig, and Peeta feels slightly relieved that this time, Katniss and Gale are both not on his side. A day without having to deal with them without at least putting some bickering on the side is the last thing he really needs at the moment.

He walks in The Nut and Peeta glance around to inspect his surroundings. He soon spots Finnick, who's sitting down having a sip of his diet coke until waving when he notices Peeta. Peeta gives a smile and then walks towards the man before sitting next to him in the booth. The waiter comes in with a rather bored expression and takes Peeta's order before leaving the two alone.

"Glad you could make it," says Finnick before placing his hand on Peeta's. Peeta looks down at his held hand but does nothing to retract his hand away from his. Besides, Katniss did set the him with Finnick for a reason, to not give his time solely towards Cato, particularly when Cato is still in the closet.

"Well, I had a lot of free time in my hands," replies Peeta with a shrug. To Peeta, Finnick doesn't seem like the type to be completely gay. His looks are enough to attract both men and women, no doubt. "So what's new in your life?" he asks.

"Nothing much, except that we have this fair that we have to set up in the next few weeks?"

"Fair?" asks Peeta. The waiter comes in and places Peeta's order without delay. Peeta thanks the waiter and the waiter leaves with a smile in return.

"Yeah. It's something that we do every year, and the students are required to at least come up with a booth to sell things to the public. The money will then be sent for charity and profits," explains Finnick while taking a sip of his drink. Peeta nods in comprehension, "It'd be great if you join,"

"Sure. Just make sure to give me some details about the whole event," replies Peeta. He takes a piece of chip and then dips it in the cheese before taking a bite out of it.

"Just to make sure though. . . Are you like gay or bi?" asks Finnick. Peeta looks at him and then chews his food, putting his hand up signaling for him to wait until he swallows his food.

"Gay," he replies, "What about you?"

"Bi," replies Finnick.

"Clearly not surprised," comments Peeta, taking another cheese-dipped chip and then putting it in his mouth. "I mean, don't get me wrong. But your looks basically can attract anything. I bet the asexual ones will change their sexuality upon seeing your looks," Finnick chuckles at Peeta and then gives a bobble of the head, giving him a half agreement on the whole assessment.

"You don't really mind if I kiss you, do you, Peeta?" asks Finnick with a slight hesitance in his voice.

Peeta looks at him in slight surprise. He never dreams of seeing the confident Finnick Odair having some sense of class and chivalry. Most men that he has seen in romantic films are too brazen and completely straightforward but for Finnick, it's different. That whole bravado slash arrogant aura (although Finnick isn't _that_ arrogant) is completely stripped when he asks that. Peeta chuckles at him before answering, "So long as you're not a bad kisser, then I don't mind,"

Finnick smiles at Peeta before landing his lips on to Peeta's. It's a quick peck and that further surprises him. He doesn't go any further than pecking but Peeta never questions it. _He probably doesn't want to admit he's a bad kisser,_ Peeta thinks.

The night goes on smoothly with nothing but light conversations and kissing in the middle, and just 2 minutes after eight, a group of people catches Finnick's eyes. "Is that The Careers?" he asks. Peeta gives him a confused look before turning around and sure enough Cato and his group are coming inside The Nut. As happy and giddy he feels upon seeing Cato's dashing looks, he turns away with a groan. "You don't seem to be happy seeing them," comments Finnick.

"Let's just say that The Careers and I don't really see eye to eye with them," he replies vaguely. Finnick nods in understanding but continues to watch the foursome walking in their direction. Peeta closes his eyes shut, hoping that some miracle comes in where he would just disappear or become invisible for just a few seconds.

"Is that you, Mellark?" sadly his wish didn't come through as he hears Clove's voice resounding through his ears. "Look, Hadley. The baker boy's on a date," Peeta opens his eyes and then sees all four of the Careers looking at him with amusement in their eyes. Peeta focuses his gaze on Cato, who's eyes have a tinge of betrayal and jealousy in them but the smirk on his face disguises it. Cato takes a seat opposite them, while the three friends stand behind him, like Cato is some mafia boss with his three devoted followers. Finnick doesn't seem too bothered by them, as his face brightens upon meeting the band.

Cato doesn't hesitate to grab a chip from Peeta's basket and then taking a bite out of it after dipping it in cheese. Peeta doesn't chastise him but only glares at Cato with distaste. "Hi, I'm Finnick. Finnick Odair. I downloaded your first album, and damn, it was the greatest I've heard in a while,". Finnick stretches out his hand to him, hoping for a handshake in return from the blond lead singer. At this point, Peeta could now see why Gale and Katniss get aggravated at his behavior, but out of the three, Peeta is more patient than that.

Cato looks at Finnick, and Peeta's heart quickens slightly at the look Cato's giving him. It isn't a scowl or anything, just that the silence that is subsequent to Finnick's formality unnerves him. Cato gives him a smile that screams fakeness and then shakes his hand with a firm grip. Peeta's breath becomes hitched and with the urge to want them gone, "What are you doing here, Cato?" he asks.

Cato looks at him, before releasing Finnick's hand. He stares at Peeta's blue eyes, and without giving him any consideration, he answers, "Well, Peeta. I'm just talking to a fan who is on the way to become a really good friend,". Peeta's hand clenches out of their view, and Clove, Marvel and Glimmer soon sit down by Cato's side, with their fake mannerisms playing at full disposal. Peeta shakes his head and then rolls his eyes, but doesn't do anything to stop the four from ordering and then continuing to chat with Finnick.

Several minutes pass and with silent frustration and passive-aggressiveness written on Peeta's face. The Careers still have not left as they are too busy enjoying their meals. He is sitting next to Marvel, and Peeta's slightly glad that he is because sitting next to one of the girls could probably set fire to something they can't control. Marvel hasn't spoken a single word during hiss sitting and doesn't bother Peeta at all throughout drinking and eating his food. Although, Peeta can actually see the annoyance written on his face when his eyes fixate on Cato throughout the entire time his three friends are chatting with Finnick. He fishes out a 10-dollar bill before placing it on the table. "I'm leaving. It's getting late, and I have a test coming in a few days," he says to Finnick.

Finnick doesn't seem bother by Peeta's announcement, and proceeds to give a kiss on Peeta's cheek. Glimmer and Clove give awed in unison. "I'm sorry tonight wasn't much of a date, but are we still on for date number two?" he asks. Peeta looks at him with a slight soft expression. It's not Finnick's fault that the date is ruined and besides, Finnick doesn't really know the real story behind Cato and Peeta's relationship.

"Yeah, sure. Just give me a call," says Peeta with a tight voice. Marvel walks out of the booth, giving, Peeta space to access his exit. He doesn't bother sparing his thanks nor goodbyes to The Careers as he walks out of the booth in silence.

He walks out of The Nut's entrance and is about to hail for a cab when he hears an unfamiliar voice calling his name. HE turns around and sees Marvel heading up to him. Peeta squints his eyes in confusion and without thinking any further, he walks away from him, not really in the mood for another bashing from a bully. Marvel continues to call him until having enough or Peeta's ignorance, "If it makes you any better, I'm annoyed by Cato too,"

Peeta stops upon hearing the words leaving Marvel's lips.


	5. Another One Knows

ANOTHER ONE KNOWS.

There are some things that many want to censor from people's knowledge, and for Peeta Mellark, it's not that his sexuality is the biggest secret, since the truth is basically a universal fact but it's his relationship with Cato. Cato Hadley is still in the closet, and so far, Peeta has respected that and the fact that it has become a secret almost - if not, already - turned into his makes it worrying for him. If anything, Peeta feels worried for Cato, because his secret matters to him as well as his. The only people that know so far is himself, Cato, Katniss and Gale. Now, with Marvel in the list, it makes it a little unsettling to hear his opinions about their relationship.

Peeta could hear his heart beat really fast as he hears the footsteps becoming softer from Marvel. He turns around to meet his eyes, and with a frown on his face does Marvel smile. "You know?" he says audibly, not really care if there are passersby listening in on the conversation.

"He's the one that told me, so I figured I should respect it at the least of it," he says nonchalantly. There is a pause after that, and the only thing that is so far filling up the conversation is the cars whizzing by them. Peeta folds his arms before resuming his walking. Marvel joins him and they do not speak for a few moments.

"Sorry about your date, though," says Marvel, breaking the silence, "It was supposed to be just a casual night out between the four of us, but Cato had other plans,"

Peeta merely shrugs at him, his eyes focused on the pavements, "It's alright. For all I know, it's my fault for not doing anything to stop him. I'm as at fault as Cato is,"

"How do you put up with him? I mean, he's like. . .,"

"Annoying, douchebag, insecure?" finishes Peeta with a definite tone. "All of the above," says Marvel after chuckling. Peeta rolls his eyes mindlessly with a hint of smile on his face. "I don't know, Marvel. I mean, he has his moments, you know?"

Marvel snorts at the theory, "Oh, _I_ know,". The two of them laugh for a moment, "If anything, Cato's a real drama queen," Peeta laughs a little harder at that.

"Yeah, he is, in a way," says Peeta after sobering from his laughter. The two continue walking in silence, letting their feet bring themselves back to the campus. "You do realize that Cato's probably gonna take a long while for him to come out, right?"

Peeta nods absently, "Yeah, I know. But I don't mind, really. It's just his way of venting the insecurity that annoys me," Marvel hums knowingly at Peeta's assumption but doesn't say anything more after that. Peeta too, has little to say, seeing that Marvel has suddenly become a little more relevant in his life. Their current conversations mark their first interaction and so far, Peeta seems to think that Marvel is quite an open person, considering that he knows about him and Cato and the way he's not all homophobic about it. So, at least there's one thing good going in his life.

They finally reach the campus with no bad blood and Peeta is surprised that Marvel hasn't beaten him up or anything. Mostly, he would just feel awkward for talking to someone who knows of his relationship with Cato, but having Marvel respecting the whole thing is like someone he should need more in life. Sure, Katniss and Gale are around but the two are never on the same page with Peeta when Cato comes into the topic. It's like the friend he never thought to have.

"You think Cato will say sorry for the whole interrupting thing?" asks Marvel.

"Most likely. But even if he didn't, I would just have to tolerate him," he says, "It's his pride that he cares more, so you know. . .,"

"Yeah, I get it," says Marvel. They walk until both reach the same building where they live. Both of their rooms are on the same floor, and the two say their goodnights and goodbyes when they split up. Peeta smiles at his not so terrible night. The thought of Cato interrupting his night sure does have its negatives, but talking it out with someone like Marvel was sort of cathartic for him.

He opens his door after unlocking it, only to see Gale on the bed, with his gaze up towards the ceiling. He turns to Peeta and then smiles before asking, "How was your night?"

Not bothering to change out of his clothes precluding his shoes, Peeta lays on his bed with a loud, muffled thump and then murmurs half-sarcastically, "Terrific,"

…

Classes were boring as usual, and Peeta honestly still has no idea how the school had chosen the subjects for him, and by extension, agreed to take it. He goes to his locker, dumping his bag inside it and then taking his book out before shutting it, waiting for Cato to appear. Last night's behavior sure crossed a line, but after the talk and the sleep, Peeta figures it's all water under the bridge. He checks his watch, and then narrows his eyes in confusion when he sees that 15 minutes have passed. _Maybe he's just being held up or something,_ thinks Peeta, so he decides to wait it out more.

40 minutes have passed and class doesn't start in another half an hour, and Peeta can't help but feel a bit weird standing by his locker with the students passing by him. Sure, no one's given him eye contact and Gale and Katniss are not around because both are sharing the same class, but Cato has never been this late at all. Without wasting another moment, he walks away from his locker and then goes out to search for the tall man. His mind is swirling with thoughts, and his emotions were spewing with half-confusion and half-anger. _Where is he,_ he asks himself and tries to find him, from the library to the cafeteria, but none of those aforementioned places present him with the tall man. With almost 15 minutes to spare, Peeta can't help but feel more angry than before, and that is quite surprising, considering that he doesn't usually get irked. A lot of things have certainly happened by just being in an affair with a man like Cato. With 15 minutes left to spare, he almost gives up trying to search for Cato until he sees a poster for a musical audition.

"The music room," whispers Peeta to himself. He runs, bypassing the students that are congesting the hallways, with 'excuse me' and 'pardon me' thrown out to the public for the sake of getting space to go through. He finally reaches towards the music room, and without another moment to waste, he opens the door, only to see Cato sitting in front of a piano, with his hand holding a pencil and then other playing the keys. Cato turns his head to meet Peeta's eyes, and then returning to his work, infuriating Peeta more. He walks over to Cato before slamming the piano cover down, barely hitting Cato's fingers.

"What the fuck, Hadley?" says Peeta with a snapping tone. He never calls Cato by his surname, but with his anger eclipsing his rationality, Peeta couldn't think straight anymore.

"What?" says Cato, and Peeta frowns deeper just hearing to the man acting all nonchalant.

"Don't act dumb on me, Cato. You know what I'm talking about," he replies with a bitter tone. He could see the fear coming into Cato's eyes, and Peeta doesn't realize how much effect he's having until now. Cato stands up and then touches Peeta before gripping his waist with his two hands.

"You look really hot when you're mad, Mellark," he says. Peeta almost falters in his speech and is about to scold him when he hears the door open. Cato lets go of him almost instantly and then leans onto the piano, acting as if nothing happened at all. He then rubs his chin, like some lost case in school acting all badass. Peeta turns to the disturber, only to reveal Marvel coming in.

"Hey, Peeta," says Marvel with a wave. Peeta relaxes at his presence before turning to Cato, "Were you. . .?" asks Marvel.

"No," finishes Peeta, "I'm leaving,"

"Yeah, yeah," says Cato with smug laced in his tone, "Run off to your fag of a boyfriend," he gives him a smirk towards Peeta.

Peeta closes in on Cato, ignoring the personal space and his voice lowering, "You don't have the right of being jealous and don't bother meeting me. I'm done with you," he says before walking off, not bothering to say his goodbye to Marvel. As he is leaving the music room, he could hear Marvel muttering, "Idiot," but he didn't stay to hear nor see who was he referring to.

He's free.


	6. Ambush

AMBUSH.

Nothing has happened ever since Peeta broke it off with Cato, and to be really honest, it only serves half of the good that Peeta expects it to be. They both weren't in a relationship to begin with, but the fact that Peeta just broke it off with him made things slightly easier for Peeta. At least Cato will still struggle with his sexuality. _Serves him fucking right, that son of a bitch_ , thinks Peeta. His normal routine resumes (quite boringly, though), and Gale and Katniss seem really happy that Peeta has let go of something that serves him little in his life. Finnick has been a bit of a staple in his life, with their meetings becoming more frequent and Marvel turning up once in a while to talk with him but none of their recent conversations involve talking about Cato, much to Peeta's relief.

The school has been putting up the notion of having a play for the school's annual fair, with the humble hopes of having some money to spend on upgrading the school with some new sports venue that are made specially for specific sports. So it comes as no surprise to most students that the school wants to upgrade the school with a new swimming pool, citing that taking a bus every after school to the local swimming pool as tedious and money consuming. Peeta reckoned Principal Snow is doing that for the student's benefits. At least he's not Alma Coin. That lady has always tried to make things difficult, and he was glad that she has long since retired from her post due to the stress that the students have been harrowing her with.

So, it only makes sense that students in Peeta's year, would been involved in the whole thing. Some students are overjoyed that they get to be hands on in the play, while others just groaned in displeasure. Peeta doesn't see any problem with it, nor do Katniss or Gale since both of them love to be out of their lessons just dedicating their time for something other than Miss Trinket's boring philippic.

The students congregate at the auditorium, with many going sitting down deciding how each of them could contribute to the play. It is large, with the color plum covering the walls and basically soundproofing the entire place from the outside. It resembles an opera theater and Peeta wonders how the school has managed to afford such space. The auditorium is placed in just one building and is located adjacent to where Peeta spends his classes in. It's a nice place, and if one is lucky, they get to sit at the balcony whenever an assembly is held. It all comes to how early the students are willing to go for the assembly or functions. Plays, performances all held there. Except Prom, of course. That's reserved for the gym. It doesn't matter, though. The place is nice and spacious, all comfortable.

"I'll just do the costumes," declares Peeta.

"But you're not into fashion," comments Katniss.

"Yeah, but gays are," counters Peeta with a deadpanned look.

"And you are gay," adds Gale with a nonchalant look.

"Only to make it better," ends Peeta with a deadpanned note. Katniss stares at him disbelievingly before declaring that she will volunteer with the lightings, citing it as a better alternative to fashion. Gale decides to join Peeta, noting that it's better to be doing nothing with Peeta than actually be harangued by Katniss' bossy attitude. Katniss gives him a scowl before hitting his head. Gale groans in pain and Peeta rolls his eyes at the two.

Miss Portia calls for Peeta and asks him to find Glimmer, who will be headlining as the main actress for the play. It comes as no secret that Glimmer is the talented one. She not only plays for the Careers but she has great acting chop, making her the choice actress for the play. Peeta nods at her before leaving the two of his friends bickering. It is already break time, and many of the students are walking through the halls like it's the subways of New York or some Harry Potter film. He goes through the staircase when he feels a force pushing him down the last flights of steps. He lands on the floor with a thud on the temple of his head, and then groans in pain audibly. The students crowd around him, and Peeta could only see stars and images blurring to the extent that what he sees become two or three of the same people.

"Peeta!" says a voice, but his concussed state is too strong for him to pinpoint the source. "How many fingers am I holding up?" he tries to answer but could only stare at the fingers. The fingers were blurry and it is as if the images split into two, making it more confusing for Peeta to answer, and the lighting doesn't seem to make things better, either. "Oh damn. Nice job, Cato. Look what you've done,"

"It was just a harmless prank," Cato replies.

"Yeah, take less out of that, and you will get your results. I don't know how I agreed to watch this, this was a stupid idea. You were supposed to trip him when he reaches down the stairs not push him, asshole," counters back the other voice. "Great. Blood. That escalated quickly,"

"What in the world is going on here?" exclaims a voice from somewhere Peeta can't move to see.

"Peeta fell down on the floor, Miss Trinket, by Cato, on purpose," says the voice with emphasis. With his mind regaining consciousness, he could hear that voice is Marvel's.

"Take him into Mrs. Everdeen. Mr. Hadley, I will see you in the principal's office," says Miss Trinket before walking away with loud clacks of her heels. Marvel tries to get Peeta to sit up but only ends up hurting Peeta more as he falls back down with a painful groan.

"Come on, Cato. Help me get him up. Goddammit, you're an asshole, you know that? Hawthorne's going to skin you alive if he hears this," says Marvel. Peeta feels his body being lifted up and he could hear Marvel shouting to the crowd to disperse.

"I'm sorry," he hears Cato saying softly to his ear, and Peeta blacks out, his words cut off by a blackness.

…

"That son of a bitch is gonna get it," says a voice.

"Make sure you leave some for me. That idiot hasn't seen nothing yet," says another. Peeta groans at the sounds and then winces his eyes in annoyance when he watches the light attacking his innocent pupils. If only light dimming would come in life, that would have been a better way to handle the pain. "He's awake. Gale, get my mom here now". Peeta blinks once more, and then sees Katniss's face hovering above him, "Peeta, how do you feel?"

Peeta groans out, "Like I got hit by some truck,"

"My mom will get you some painkillers, just hang tight," assures Katniss. "Do you remember what happened?"

"I was looking for Glimmer, and then someone pushed me down the stairs," answers Peeta before plopping his back down onto the bed. "Ugh, my head hurts,"

"Yeah, you got a real darn bruise on your head there, but nothing too serious. Cato pushed you though. He's waiting for us in the principal's office,"

"What do you mean waiting?" asks Peeta confusedly.

"Principal Snow wants to see us all," she replies, adding more confusion to his head. He doesn't reply her, and the two stay in silence. He hears the door open and then watches as Mrs. Everdeen and Gale walk in the room together.

"Peeta, how're you feeling?" asks Mrs. Everdeen softly.

"A little sore, that's all," he replies honestly. Mrs. Everdeen smiles at him before grabbing a glass of water and some pills with her free hand. She orders him to consume the pills and Peeta obeys. He could feel the throbbing pain subsiding slightly before trying to move. Gale assists him and then tries to balance him. Peeta smiles in thanks at his friend, before giving his thanks to Katniss' mother. The trio leave the infirmary and head for the principal's office with slow steps.

"Please, let me kill him, Peeta. I swear, just one punch is all I'm asking for," says Gale with a low tone.

"You do realize that's one punch isn't enough to kill him right, Hawthorne?" asks Katniss with an amused tone. Gale glares at Katniss, who is smirking smugly at his friend. They stop by the stairs for Peeta to relax a bit.

"So what happened after the whole. . ."

"Well, Marvel and Cato are now in the principal's office, and Miss Trinket is basically blasting Cato's ear about how irresponsible his actions were," explains Katniss.

"At least Miss Trinket's nagging has some use," retorts Gale. Katniss hums in agreement, and Peeta chuckles at the two. "Come on, they're waiting for us, and I don't really want to wait till tomorrow to hear Cato's judgment. I want that son of a bitch to pay for what he's done," offers Gale. Peeta nods mutely before standing up, this time a little more confidently as the pain ebbs off his system. Peeta glances at the clock and notes that it's already 3 in the afternoon. I was out that long?

They reach the main office a while later, with the bored receptionist pointing lazily to his left with his pencil, signaling that Principal Snow and the others are waiting for him. The three walk into the room, and watch as Principal Snow is busy talking to Cato and Marvel with Miss Trinket beside him.

The principal's office is quite lavish. With red almost burgundy color covering the floor and the walls. Peeta looks over to the shelves that display Principal Snow's achievement and newspaper clippings, all of which are made of mahogany. There's a large window that is placed behind the principal's desk, showcasing the front view of the school campus, where most students hang out for their casual day. The desk table too is made of mahogany with the school logo embedded on the front of the desk. It looks really lavish and Peeta feels like the place resembles him of some manor without the school office behind him. It almost makes him feel as if the place has some secrets behind the bookshelves. Very rare get to go in the principal's office, let alone see it. The principal doesn't usually allow students to go into the room unless there is a serious case occurring involving his students.

Looks like his case is serious enough.

"Ah, Mr. Mellark, Mr. Hawthorne, and Miss Everdeen, have a seat," offers Principal Snow. His white beard is unmistakable and his calm and his calm demeanor only makes things more tense than calming. Cato is sitting down on the chair in front to Principal Snow's desk and while Marvel, Gale and Katniss are sitting a chair away from him. Peeta looks at the middle and finds the seat vacant. Without complaining - not audibly, of course - he sits down on the chair dividing Marvel, Katniss and Gale from Cato. It's for the best, Peeta guesses, since Gale has this urge to snap Cato's neck without mercy. And he could probably guess that Marvel is fed up with him, and so does Katniss.

He reluctantly sets himself in the middle and he peers over to Cato boldly. He is sitting with his arms folded, a sour look on his face, and Peeta peers over to the other three. Marvel doesn't seem too bothered being in the principal's office, probably because he's completely justified from the whole situation. Katniss and Gale seem to be sitting together with their expressions a bit nervous.

"Right, not that everyone is here," says Principal Snow, "We have two options. The first option; Mr. Hadley will be suspended for a month because of his behavior, as proven through his actions towards Mr. Mellark," Peeta and the other three of his friends stare at Cato, who then scowls as he hears the words uttered from the principal, "However, as much as I like to suspend, I prefer the second option, as suggested by Miss Trinket,"

 _Oh lord, what has she done now?_

Miss Trinket steps forward, with her bright pastel clothing and her smile almost annoying as it is bright. "Thank you, principal. Since we have all 5 of you here today, I suggested a different form of punishment,"

"If she suggests us detention, I will flip that wig off her head," whispers Katniss, her voice almost audible for Miss Trinket to hear. Peeta stifles his laugh, but he manages to hold it in. Just.

"I suggested that we all make you headline the play," she says with a bright voice.

"Oh crap," whispers Gale.

…

The five students leave the office, with Gale and Katniss giving dirty looks towards Cato. Peeta figures that since both Miss Trinket and Principal Snow aren't around to be giving dirty looks at, they decided to give it to the perpetrator, in this case, Cato. "I just don't get it. That son of a bitch is the one that started it, and we are the ones getting punished?" exclaims Katniss.

"I'm right here, Katpiss," comments Cato with a scowl on his face.

"Well, listen clearly, Hadley, because it's meant for you to hear," retorts Gale. Peeta looks up to the ceiling, not really in the mood to hear his two best friend bickering with the guy who has basically become the biggest douchebag in the school. Marvel doesn't seem to be as interested in the entire thing as Peeta, so he too distances himself from the three students.

"I don't know how can anyone deal with you, Cato. Ugh. That bitch Miss Trinket better be watching out from now on. The stairs haven't seen a real tragedy since Peeta's, and if I see her on that high heels, I'm so looking forward to push that bitch down," mutters Katniss.

"Actually, there was blood on the floor," interjects Marvel.

"Oh," says Katniss, "Well, let me rephrase that. There hasn't been a d-,"

"Okay, we get it. Now about the play. How? When? And where?" interrupts Peeta, his tolerance running thin. As much as he would like to be angry about Cato's actions, he's too fed up with all of it.

Katniss huffs in frustration before scowling and folding her arms, "Right. We can do it this way. We five meet each other in the library tomorrow at 11, and I mean all of us have to be there," she says, her glare never leaving Cato. Gale clenches his fist, trying to hold his anger in place. Peeta doesn't need to give him a look to tell him to stop; he knows his limits anyway. And an extension of the previous punishment isn't something any of the five wants. He can already predict what kind of punishment that the Principal will serve and most likely under Miss Trinket's nosey suggestion. Next thing he knows will be them headlining the school's Gay Straight Alliance, something that Peeta dreads going to. Don't get him wrong, being gay is accepted in school but if he has to be stuck with people that have basically bullied him with derogatory terms back when he was in elementary as his superior, he can basically kiss his life goodbye. The bullies have changed, obviously, but Peeta has little interest into reconciling with them. Pointless.

"Sounds good," says Marvel, "Come on, Cato. Let's get out of here. See you tomorrow, Peeta," he says with a wave of his hand. Peeta merely nods at Marvel, and then watches as Marvel grips on Cato's forearm with a look on his face. Cato complies with his force and leaves without saying a word. His expression only speaks of a five-year-old child but he has always acted like on since the entire thing started.


	7. Feelin' The Mood

FEELIN' THE MOOD.

Peeta wakes up at 9 in the morning, and turns his body to his left, only to find his pal, Gale, completely covered up with his blanket as if he's facing the November winter. He snores soundly, and Peeta removes himself from the bed before making it up. Neat freak. He walks away to the bathroom, and inspects himself in front of the mirror. He sees his forehead slightly bruised, and then tries to touch it, before scolding himself mentally for trying to inflict himself sadistically with unwanted pain. It's a pinkish and dark blue hue on it, and it makes him wonder how hard Cato pushed him to receive such ugly temporary scar. He opens the mirror, and takes out a bottle of painkillers before consuming two of them in his mouth. The pain sure has lessened, and Peeta expects a full recovery from the prominent bruise. It's not too obvious, mostly because of his blond hair covering most of it, so he's got that going.

Showering has never been so harrowing as he lets the warm water cascade down his body. He stands there, lathering his body with body wash and skips the shampooing, citing that the chemicals will cause worsen the inflammation. He wonders why did Cato pull of such act. He hasn't done anything wrong, no. All he has done so far is remove any unwanted burden by having an affair with him. Sure, Finnick has been sort of a normal presence, but certainly Cato isn't jealous about him being around that he has barely known? He sighs before splashing his face with the shower.

He dries himself gently and doubles the gentleness when he dries his hair. He walks out of his room to see Gale still asleep and as much as he likes to leave him alone, he doubts that Katniss will like him being late due to his excess sleeping voyeur. Dressing himself up, he grabs his pillow, and without hesitation, smothers Gale's face with the pillow. Needless to say, Gale is struggling and is panicking as expected when all he sees is blackness and Peeta is grinning like a Cheshire Cat. He could feel the muffled struggle from Gale and Peeta laughs maniacally as if he enjoys feeding off from the sounds of his victims. He eventually stops smothering him, and finally lets him go, and then removing the pillow away from Gale. He dusts the pillow off as if nothing has happened.

Gale is panting and sweating when he finally sees light and the ceiling above and then looks at Peeta, "You better watch out, Peeta," he says with a low tone. Peeta knows he's joking so all he does is stick his tongue out and then wishes him luck for his future attempt(s). Gale reluctantly gets up and then heads into the shower, with Peeta snickering when Gale's mumbling out expletives and incoherent words. The shower runs smoothly and Peeta rolls his eyes as he starts to make up Gale's bed.

Peeta picks up his phone and then unlocks it, noting that there are no messages or calls that are new to the system. He locks it, not willing to spare another minute with it doing nothing. He soon hears the door click open and then watches as Gale comes out with his waist covered with a towel. Peeta has long been immune to men being half-naked. He's find that they are no fun unless chemistry is involved and he's quite surprised that his boner has managed to be kept in control.

"I'm still keeping my promise on killing you," says Gale once he dons his underwear, and then removing the towel covering most of his legs. Peeta rolls his eyes and then pays attention to his vibrating phone. A text comes from Katniss; telling them that they will meet in 10 at The Hob for breakfast.

"Come on, your girl is asking for us," says Peeta before tucking the phone back into his pocket.

Gale glares at Peeta, "She's not my girl," with a faint tint of pink on his cheeks. Peeta gives a confused smile before grinning devilishly at him. Gale looks away and his blush grows, "Fine. I haven't got the courage yet, alright?" Peeta laughs at his confession, "Prick," mutters Gale lowly as he hears his best friend laugh good-naturedly. As the two walk towards the door, Peeta snickers once more, earning himself a soft punch on his shoulder by Gale, "You're not letting this go, aren't you?"

"Probably not,"

…

Peeta has always enjoyed the company The Hob has been providing. He loves the atmosphere of the place. A mixture of the Irish pub and the coffee shop that many people go. It's has the homey atmosphere that everyone will - including Peeta himself - say, "This is the life,". Even Gale would agree to that sentiment as the Hob has been a staple presence to almost all the students who study with Peeta.

Katniss is sitting upstairs, with her attention still fixated with talking to Marvel, whom Peeta finds it a surprise that he's around. He seems to be friendly with Katniss, as they both are seen smiling and chuckling at each other.

"They're getting along well," says Gale, with a voice Peeta couldn't pinpoint.

"What do you expect? It's Marvel. Everyone likes Marvel. He's nice, and unlike most people, he's quiet," responds Peeta.

"I'm quiet, too," retorts Gale.

Peeta gives him a confused look, "Okay? I guess you are," he says before joining the two friends sitting upstairs. The stairs connect the people to more available tables, and has a cozier atmosphere than the former floor. It has sofas, providing a living room atmosphere for the students. It's no secret that if anyone goes up there, they will most likely see a couple snogging on the sofas, giving the rest of the public some PDA, and with the many sofas placed there, most call it the Love Seats, a title befitting of its nature.

He finally gets upstairs with Gale behind him, and then joins Katniss and Marvel, whom both smiled at the blond man. He smiles back, before sitting and getting himself comfortable. He grabs the menu, and moves his eyes to the breakfast column, the list ranging from the usual American Breakfast, to the waffles, pancakes, hash browns, and what have you written for ala carte orders. He skims through the list, thinking thoughtfully about what kind of food will he want to fill his stomach with before beginning the day.

"Oh my god, Peeta, any day now," says Katniss with an annoyed tone. Peeta could hear Annie chuckling beside him as she's holding her notepad with her pen.

"It's not my fault that the food's really good here," retorts Peeta with enough sass. He looks at it once more, before moving his eyes to the beverages. He then orders an American Breakfast, with extra hash browns and a glass of orange juice as his drink. Gale orders himself a plate of stacked waffles with blueberries and raspberries on top, with a glass of orange juice as well. Annie simply smiles at the two before grabbing the closed menus and then moving downstairs.

"So, where's Cato?" asks Gale. Katniss gives him a quirked look, before looking at Marvel.

"Well, he was here before Katniss came, and I was with him. But he left off before my breakfast even came," responds Marvel while he pokes his fork through the sliced pancake, then eating it while chewing it slowly. Peeta simply raises his eyebrows for a second before nodding at him. "Not surprised, since he really doesn't want to be here, or do anything like this,"

"He's just have to deal with it," says Katniss bitterly. "And besides, if he had not injured Peeta in the first place, none of us would be here right now,"

"Or. . . If Miss Trinket wasn't in the room with Principal Snow, none of us would be here," adds in Marvel. The others give hums of agreement. Katniss hasn't stopped thinking nor ranting about how much she detests Miss Trinket. It almost annoys Gale, as he couldn't tolerate listening to her talking about how she loathes the way she dresses, her mannerisms and so on, so forth. Peeta seems amused by it, and stays quiet throughout the entire time she's have her diatribe about her.

Annie arrives with the plates of food in her hand, and then settles it onto the table, with their ordered dishes going in front of the owners. Peeta smiles his thanks to Annie, earning himself a smile back in response. She leaves the table and the four friends to themselves, and Gale wastes no time when it comes to eating the pancakes. Katniss rolls her eyes, but surreptitiously grabs her fork to slice her piece off from Gale. Gale, however, is no idiot. He gives an unamused look at Katniss, and swats her hand away, receiving a shocked look from Katniss herself.

"That's for the last 3 weeks," says Gale, before taking a bite of the pancake. Katniss gives him a pout and then continues to take the pancake, this time with Gale's permission. Peeta rolls his eyes as he chews on his bacon, before feeling a vibration from his pocket. He fishes out his phone and checks the screen, only to see a message from Finnick, asking him if he's free the next day. Peeta glances up for a moment, and sees none of his friends are paying that much attention to Peeta's temporary fixation to his phone. Peeta and Cato aren't together anyway, so why force something unrealistic out of it? He shrugs his shoulders before texting his agreement to him. Looking up, he sees Katniss staring at him, and Peeta merely mouths out, "Later," at her, before returning to his food.

"So, what was that all about?" asks Katniss to Peeta. They have left the Hob a while ago, and they are now on their way to the library, where they have all agreed to meet with Cato, whom Gale pessimistically commented that he will definitely be a no show when their discussion starts. Katniss rolls her eyes, but hypocritically wishes for the same. Gale and Marvel are walking ahead of Katniss and Peeta. Gale couldn't help but keep this look of weariness when he talks to Marvel, and Peeta wonders if he actually does hate him or just eyes him with pure jealousy.

"Nothing. It's just Finnick asking me out, that's all," mutters Peeta, his eyes fixated at the ground.

"So, what did you say?" she asks.

"I gave him my yes," replies Peeta, "I mean. It's been sort of a while we both have not seen each other. We've been texting, yeah, but meeting facetime hasn't been done for some time," Katniss nods at him, understanding every word he has given her. They soon join the two friends in front of them, and they soon reach the building.

As they make their way through the halls, Gale says, "I really don't want to do this,"

"Yeah, well. You have Miss Trinket to blame. Bloody bitch," grits out Katniss.

"Your animosity towards that lady astounds me," comments Marvel. Peeta snickers at the comment. If there's one thing Katniss is good at; it's hating on Miss Trinket like she's the swine flu.

"Get used to it, Marvel," responds Katniss.

"Oh, I plan to," retorts Marvel.

"Okay, lovebirds. You can quit your flirting now. Now, can we go back to my problem?" says Gale before sighing dramatically. "I really hope Hadley isn't there,"

"You say that now, and we'll end up doing this for a while. Be thankful that we're only doing this for a couple of weeks, or I have to be sitting in that library listening to you complaining shit," says Peeta. Gale glares at him, and Katniss and Marvel chuckle at his comment. Peeta seldom gets sassy and sometimes mordant but when he does, the reaction is usually positive. Marvel pushes the clear glass door of the library, and opens it wide for the other three to enter.

They enter the library and walk around to the tables, where most of the students gather to do their light reading, studying or sometimes, gossiping sessions of pointless hearsays. "Okay, so far so good, Hadley is not here,"

"I think you spoke too soon, Hawthorne," says Marvel, and Gale could not help but groan loudly and unashamedly when he sees Cato scribbling aimlessly on his notebook.

Peeta bites his laughter really hard.

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry for the long wait. I had my exams and I've been taking both my breaks and studies really seriously. That's why I posted two chapters in one day like two weeks ago.**

 **Yes, Eleid. There will be Katniss and Gale together, but it's going to be a bit slow. I'm taking my time with this fanfic.**

 **Thank you for the reviews. I know I haven't really been putting up author's note, because I can't seem to read my reviews whenever I click on them until recently.**


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